Finally, if you’ve not realised, today there’s a lovely duo of Peony vases with hydrangeas and a small fragrance spray each, in a gift bag each – see it and buy it here before midnight tonight, (Friday 3rd).

Also – here’s one of the last chances to buy your Poppy from our big collection – this is the one I’ve been wearing, item number 312494. And click here to see the whole poppy collection before it runs out!

Right, now I’ve got the business out of the way, here’s the news!

Doggy days on Devon beaches

Daisy and Gracie adore going down to the sea, so this week on my week off we took a half hour journey to the North Devon coast and popped over into Cornwall. We visited Widemouth beach on Monday and up the coast to Northcott beach on Wednesday. You should have seen Gracie in the water! If you go to my website debbieflint.com this week, to the main newsletter blog on the homepage, you’ll find a really funny video of the dogs in the sea! Plus some really wonderful photographs with the setting sun. It’s been so gorgeous down here in Devon this week, who would have thought it is nearly November?!

OMG I met the cutest little spaniel down on the beach. Sue and Paul only moved down here in May with three older Spaniels and they stopped to say hello, to Daisy and Gracie’s huge delight. And to my delight, they let me cuddle little puppy Jessie – she is only five months old and has that amazing puppy smell. She is absolutely adorable. When I picked her up she did this thing and just hung there in my arms, loving being petted.

Talk about puppy love. 🙂 Sue said she doesn’t usually do that as she wants to get down and play. So I was very chuffed and loved every minute. 🙂 I love my puppy therapy. One of the reasons I support Medical Detection Dogs, is getting to see the latest additions and catch up with the ones that I sponsor. I must arrange another visit to their HQ on a day they do the handover of the new trainees to get my puppy fix! 🙂 Or maybe I will just meet up with Sue and Paul and Jessie and co., again on the beach.

On Wednesday I went with my pal Sheena to Northcott Bay where the coast was much more wild and not what you’d expect in Cornwall! More pics are on this link on my Facebook page, (don’t forget to ‘like’ the page to see future vlogs and updates!) and I must go back again soon!SnippetsEvolution of Man

What can I say? If I could spend some time doing one thing for the rest of my life it would be learning. I love to learn. On Saturday morning I attended the New Scientist all day lecture about the Evolution of Man near Euston Station in London. It was so gratifying as I’ve always loved this stuff, since getting books from the library about Tutankhamun when I was 8. So Chris Stringer was the first main speaker and he explained amongst other things about how hominids evolved, through Homo Erectus, and how Neanderthals lived alongside early humans – did you know there’s a tiny bit of Neanderthal in most of us!? (I am such a geek I actually wove it into one of my novels – Hawaiian Retreat, it was. Hehe!) Very interesting. Looking forward to the one about Artificial Intelligence with Craigy in a couple of weeks’ time too! Google New Scientist Instant Expert etc. for more info.

View from behind the counter
As you may know I take my turn volunteering in the village shop every Tuesday afternoon. And I make myself a nice cup of tea and serve lots of customers. However, this is the view from behind the counter. I wish they would put the pickles and condiments on this side instead of tempting treats! As soon as I have my cup of lovely delicious tea in my hand, look at what faces me – right there, staring back at me! So here’s the question, if you had a choice would it be digestives, rich tea, hobnobs, chocolate biscuits, or ginger nuts?

Churchill’s choices
Whatever your choice, have you tried the Churchills? We have the most delicious shortbread I think I have ever tasted, in a collectable vintage tin. There’s a big deal from Churchills coming soon, meanwhile go here to see the fabulous selections… all with a 30 day money back guarantee that is extended, if it is a Christmas gift, until January 25!

Theatre pals
After the Evolution of Man talks, I went to the theatre with my good pals Christina and Sara. (see below) We then went for supper nearby and put the world to rights, including thinking up an idea for a brand new company which harnesses the power of ex squaddies to work together and the need for much more housing in the UK. Sara works for SSAFA so is well placed to make it happen… I wish! Watch this space… maybe. Or maybe not! (Too busy!) BUT here’s a question – if you know an ex squaddie, has he settled back into civvy life easily or has he had help e.g. from his old colleagues? My old business partner Mark has always pulled together with his loyal mates from his RAF regiment – it’s a level of loyalty you don’t often see. I bet that ethic would make for a wicked productivity and house-building rate! Just what the UK needs…

Wet walnuts
Did you know about these? Or is it a Devon thing? Bought some ‘wet walnuts’ at the market this week, which I went to with my lovely pal Wendy, (instead of Alix, as Alix has gone to Oz for her annual family trip.) Wendy said these are much more succulent and they sure are – they also come out almost whole, unlike more brittle, dried walnuts. Why are the usual ones so brittle? Are they roasted? These taste a bit weird though… I will give them to my brother Glenn. They are different, like raw cashews are different from the usual ones. Nice to try different things though.

Another week, another tea rooms!
Went to the (I think) Café Cornucopia in Hatherleigh main street with Wendy and had a lovely soup! I do like my Tuesday routine – I could get used to this in my old age! It was nice to be out with Wendy too, rather than just being in the kitchen being her sous-chef!
And had a lovely Sunday with Lara and Izzy before heading off to see Patrick for Sunday lunch. They both informed me what they wanted to buy for Nana this weekend for her birthday so we got that sorted. Just think – in two months’ time I’ll be a nanny too!
How lucky am I? Patrick and I had a superb Sunday lunch in his fave haunt the Hospital Club near Covent Garden. Have been getting a lot more social of late and have enjoyed it immensely – making up for the time I’ve spent just working in London and then working again when I get to Devon, looking after our guests there.

Unusual talk with Liz Hocking
Then talking about trying different things, went to a talk in the Sheepwash village hall this week. It was about a trip Liz Hocking took to help out in the West Bank, where she stayed with shepherds and witnessed their sheep being scared. She talked about how roads can’t be built and how ancient life there is juxtaposed, because of local rules, right next to brand new developments. Politics huh? Maybe I’ll ask the person I’m going to see speak next week about that (if I decide to report back on here!) It was eye opening for sure to see her pics and hear all about it. She went with an organisation called EAPPi and they take volunteers to go out and help – but it’s way outside my comfort zone. Another example to make me feel gratitude for my lot.

Gratitude and mental health
There was a ‘trust me I’m a doctor’ on this week about how to improve your mental health and beat stress. And I read a great blog about how gratitude actually helps to rewire the brain to cope better with stressful times. And how social media has been blamed for heightening anxiety! Well instead of social media giving you FOMO (fear of missing out) how ‘bout writing a list of all the things you’re really grateful for, things that make you happy or inspired. Then read them every day. Google the topic for more info and maybe watch the show on catch up.

Funny Pic of the Week

Loved catching up with my old mate Antthony last week and this was his cracking hat he wore on air! Gotta love this guy, don’t you? See his fashions here, including some under £10!

Blooper

We launched Electronic Jukebox, a super new music and singalong system this week, and it includes a little bit of karaoke! It is item number 510013 and both Miceal and I got in on the act..

Book of the week
Over on my Read it Write it Sell it book blog on my website – a superbly written rom-com by accomplished author, and one of my faves, Jane Lovering. Hubble Bubble is based around a serendipity theme, has a touch of witchcraft and magic, and is very well written. I listened to the audiobook as usual and it’s really well narrated too. I love her stories because she has such a witty turn of phrase. Very enjoyable. More on my website or find it online.

Watch 1Cinema
One of the best films of the year, for me – Breathe. I know Julia’s blog will probably mention it as she has the polio link too. But it’s so well acted and quite literally breath-taking at some points. The story of the man who loses feeling below the neck and his fight to build a life and his feisty wife who refuses to give up – a lesson to us all, and a real leveller if anyone thinks they are not well off for a minor reason! A good 8.5/10 from me.

Watch 2 Theatre
And one of the best theatre productions I’ve ever been to as well – saw Labour of Love at the Noel Coward theatre starring two of my favourite actors – Martin Freeman and Tamsin Greig. OMGeeee it was so good. Went on Saturday afternoon and it was packed. A political satire but one which focusses more on relationships between the two, in the events in a Labour party office in the north, over three decades, passage of time being cleverly marked by a video screen with news clips of the various political events and a different party leader on the wall. Now I wouldn’t necessarily have seen it because of the subject matter, but the skilled performances and stellar staging outweigh the party politics. Sooo highly recommended, I want to see it again! I am aiming to go with Brad my son, before it closes in four weeks time. 9.2/10!

Next week on QVC

See above for this weekend’s big deals, including Dyson, IT Cosmetics and Peony. Then next week watch out for these highlights:

Also next week – a major Christmas gift set from Elemis – a Six-piece collection with 4 Easy Pay instalments, and buy more save more! I’ll be previewing it from around Wed or Thurs, so follow me on social media or visit my website to see the links, it’ll be huuuuge!

Next week on the blog – apart from the massive Elemis TSV, my mum’s birthday celebrations and meeting up with my old pal who’s coming to stay at the retreat, plus I’m off for my op on my carpel tunnel – eek!
Best wishes
Debs
X
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook

Share this post:

8 Comments

Hi Debbie
Love the photo of you and the puppy, he looks so content. Maybe we should all be a bit more ‘dog’, it doesn’t take much to make them happy.
As for your biscuit question…choccie biccies all day long for me, then Gingers because you can have a couple without feeling too naughty.
Great heads up on all the fab tsv’s coming up.
Love, health and happiness
Lisa xx

No wet walnuts are not a Devon thing Debbie. I first tasted them in my friends garden when I was 14 years old some 50 years ago.Her parents had a huge tree in their garden in Norfolk. I have also had French ones. Personally,I think they are so much nicer than those horrid dried ones we have at Christmas.

Hi Debbie
I’d love to have got the Dyson offer but unfortunately when I got to the end of the ordering process I saw that the delivery was for UKmainland only.- no use when I live in NI. I’m SO disappointed.

Hi Debbie, glad you’re enjoying life right now. Totally agree about social media! Dreadful for making you feel awful! People only ever put up good stuff, fun stuff and women especially put up their best photos. Very fickle and I feel for youngsters growing up. If it takes adults a long time to remember that it’s only the good stuff that goes up I can’t imagine what little brains are filled with.
Enjoy your weekend x

Twitter

Facebook

Cast your vote!

Never miss a post!

QVC uses first and third party cookies to enhance your use of this website and provide you with a personalised browsing experience. We do so in accordance with our Privacy Statement and our Cookie Policy. To learn more and change your preferences click here. By actively continuing to use this website, closing this banner or clicking the OK button below, you consent to our use of cookies.

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.